The Author

Sheryl is the founder of The No Gluten Solution: Feeding Family and Friends, which is the culmination of her talents, skills, and her personal desire to develop an effortless style of cooking good food, making her guests comfortable, and always having an excuse for a dinner party.

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This Mexican proverb expresses my feelings on food. I am a big believer that gluten-free food can work for any cuisine work and taste great with a few changes. In particular, almost all the ingredients in Mexican food are naturally gluten-free and we can prepare the food at home or eat in a restaurant that is sensitive to our needs. Most Mexican restaurants I have eaten in happily accommodated my dietary limitations.

I recently had the good fortune of eating at a local restaurant called Cascabel Taqueria. After reviewing the menu, I wanted to eat everything and asked our server what was gluten-free. The owner came to our table and explained that she was allergic to gluten and all the items on the menu were safe for me to order. Her response was music to my ears.

Cascabel Taqueria, Upper West Side, NYC

The restaurant prides itself on offering a modern interpretation of Mexican street food that is priced for the budget conscious but prepared for the food lover. The main offerings are delicious tacos, served with 2 soft corn tortillas and filled with a myriad of fillings that are made with organic, top quality and locally sourced ingredients. There were too many I loved and I suggest you check out the menu for ideas and enticement to check it out.

The other thing I loved about the restaurant is its décor. I have two teenage boys and they love the movie Nacho Libre. I have seen it too many times to admit to, and it is a spoof on the sport of Mexican boxing. One of my sons had me make him a luchador costume based on the movie character for Halloween. Think WWE with masks and lot more finesse. Cascabel Taqueria’s interior is inspired by the decorative designs of the sport and I took particular pleasure in the masks and paintings of the wrestlers.

My Luchador

I want you to explore the flavors of Mexican cuisine the next time you get bored with your meals. The standard ingredients include cilantro, cumin, avocado, Serrano and Jalapeno peppers, onions and tomatoes. There are wonderful prepared gluten-free sauces available at your local markets, (please remember to check the labels), as well as pure corn and brown rice tortillas.

So, go to a local Mexican restaurant for flavor variety or simply fill a tortilla with slices of last night’s leftover chicken, top with shredded cheese and salsa, stick in the microwave for 60 seconds, sprinkle shopped avocado on top and serve it to the delight of your diners.